Psalm 129
Lexham English Bible
Victory Over the Enemies of Zion
A song of ascents.[a]
129 “Too often[b] they have attacked me from my youth.”
Let Israel say,
2 “Too often[c] they have attacked me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 On my back plowmen have plowed.
They have made their furrows[d] long.”
4 Yahweh is righteous.
He has cut the ropes[e] of the wicked.
5 Let all be put to shame and repulsed
who hate Zion.
6 Let them be like grass on the housetops,
that withers before it grows up,
7 with which a reaper cannot fill his hand,
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,[f]
8 so that passersby do not say,
“The blessing of Yahweh be upon you.
We bless you in the name of Yahweh.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 129:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
- Psalm 129:1 Or “Greatly”
- Psalm 129:2 Or “Greatly”
- Psalm 129:3 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
- Psalm 129:4 That is, the yoke and tackle on a beast of burden
- Psalm 129:7 Literally “bosom”
Psalm 129
International Standard Version
A Song of Ascents
God Defeats Israel’s Enemies
129 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,”
let Israel repeat it,
2 “Since my youth they have often persecuted me,
yet they haven’t defeated me.
3 Wicked people[a] plowed over my back,
creating long-lasting wounds.”[b]
4 The Lord is righteous—
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
5 Let all who hate Zion
be turned away and be ashamed.
6 May they become like a tuft of grass on a roof top,
that withers before it takes root—
7 not enough to fill one’s hand
or to bundle in one’s arms.
8 And may those who pass by never tell them,
“May the Lord’s blessing be upon you.
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 129:3 So LXX DSS 11QPsa; MT reads The ploughman
- Psalm 129:3 Or long furrows; LXX reads back; they prolonged their lawlessness
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